Single-particle versus many-body phase coherence in an interacting Fermi gas
Abstract
In quantum mechanics, each particle is described by a complex valued wave-function characterized by amplitude and phase. When many particles interact each other, cooperative phenomena give rise to a quantum many-body state with a specific quantum coherence. What is the interplay between single-particle's phase coherence and many-body quantum coherence? Over the years, such question has been object of profound analysis in quantum physics. Here, we demonstrate how the time-dependent interference formed by releasing an interacting degenerate Fermi gas from a specific matter-wave circuit in an effective magnetic field can tell apart the two notions. Single-particle phase coherence, indicated by the first-order correlator, and many-body quantum coherence, indicated by the density-density correlator, are displayed as distinct features of the interferogram. Single particle phase coherence produces spiral interference of the Fermi orbitals at intermediate times. Many-body quantum coherence emerges as long times interference. The interplay between single-particle coherence and many-body coherence is reflected in a stepwise dependence of the interference pattern on the effective magnetic field.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2105.10408,
title = {Single-particle versus many-body phase coherence in an interacting Fermi gas},
author = {Giovanni Pecci and Piero Naldesi and Anna Minguzzi and Luigi Amico},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2105.10408},
year = {2022}
}
Comments
13 pages, 10 figures